attended the Pan-American Conference instead. In October 1949 Colombia hosted a conference for Colombian, Ecuadoran and Venezuelan Baháʼís on the progress of the religion in their areas; however, all the participants save two teachers came from the Colombian cities of Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cali and Medellín. Then came the prospect of decision making coming from the Latino communities and North Americans supporting their choices. Assemblies across South America failed to reform on their own but several were able to be "activated" during 1950–1. Pioneers listed for Colombia in 1950 were Gayle Woolson, Elise Schreiber, and Dorothy Campbell. In 1950, the South American Baháʼís formed a regional Spiritual Assembly for South America whose first members were Edmund Miessler of Brazil, Margot Worley of Brazil, Eve Nicklin of Peru, Gayle Woolson of Colombia, Esteban Canales of Paraguay, Mercedes Sanchez of Peru, Dr. Alexander Reid of Chile, Rangvald Taetz of Uruguay, and Manuel Vera of Peru. Of the 25 delegates for the 1951 election, 4 were from Colombia. From 1951 youth groups were being organized for Baháʼís in Barranquilla and Cali. In November 1953 pioneers listed for Colombia were Meredith W. Smith and Elton M. Smith, In 1954 Gayle Woolson and in 1955 Katherine McLaughlin was touring Colombia and nearby countries. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Barrett arrived in Bogota, Colombia, in January, 1955. In 1956 Woolson went on pilgrimage and toured sharing her experience and the national center of Colombia was dedicated. The next restructuring of the regional assembly came in 1957 when it was split into two - basically northern/eastern South America with the Republics of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, in Lima, Peru and one of the western/southern South America with the Republics of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The convention for northern/eastern Baháʼís was witnessed by Horace Holley as the representative of Shoghi Effendi. A small book on the Buddha was produced in 1957 by the national assembly. The Colombian Baháʼí community held its first summer school during a national conference in Medellín in January 1958. In 1960 the first assemblies were elected at Manizales, Pereira, and Cartagena. The Baháʼís of Cali hosted the 4th convention of the regional assembly. In 1960 a three-day conference of the World Association of World Federalists was held in Germany and was attended by Colombian delegates and Baháʼís associated with the Baháʼí International Community. A Colombian delegate responded positively